Weber gives Boston a lift

Spot starter goes six solid innings for victory

Red Sox manager Alex Cora was hoping to get four or five decent innings out of spot starter Ryan Weber.

The unheralded right-hander gave Boston a whole lot more.

Weber pitched six impressive innings to earn his first career win as a starter, Steve Pearce homered and had three RBIs and the Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-2 on Thursday.

"Just giving the team a chance to win and saving the bullpen was really my main goal," Weber said. "I'm excited and proud of what I did."

Weber's only other big league win came with Atlanta in 2016.

Cora, whose team won a 13-inning game Wednesday and has a weekend series with AL West leaders Houston looming, was happy to give his overworked bullpen a breather.

"Those are the games that set you up for the rest of the week," Cora said.

Weber (1-0) allowed one run on three hits, walked none and struck out four.

Weber, who had made three relief appearances for Boston this season, started for the first time since May 13, 2017, when he pitched for Seattle against Toronto. Weber left that game after 32/3 innings because of a nerve problem in his arm.

"It felt like I got shot," Weber said.

Boston Red Sox's Michael Chavis hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Boston Red Sox's Michael Chavis hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Photo: Nathan Denette

Photo: Nathan Denette

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Boston Red Sox's Michael Chavis hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Boston Red Sox's Michael Chavis hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Photo: Nathan Denette

Weber gives Boston a lift

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Thursday's start gave Weber a chance to wipe away that bad memory.

"Getting back out there at Rogers Centre and going six and getting a win, that was big for me," he said.

This was Weber's ninth career big league start. He was 0-4 with a 5.40 ERA in the previous eight.

Pearce had three hits. He singled in the fourth and sixth innings and hit a two-run shot off Ryan Feierabend in the ninth, his first of the season. Pearce was last year's World Series MVP, but has struggled for most of this season after starting the year with a calf injury.

"He's in a good place," Cora said of Pearce, who has six hits in his past four games after collecting seven hits in his first 20 games.

"It feels good to get the ball rolling in the right direction," Pearce said.